The Newcastle Knights have the best tackle effectiveness of any team this year. Lies, damned lies, we hear you scream. A certain website *cough nrl.com *cough claims that the Knights hold this title for 2018. Apparently Newcastle’s 88.6 per cent ratio is top of the tree, just ahead of Melbourne's 88.3 per cent. The website explains: “Tackle efficiency is calculated by tackles effected divided by tackles attempted; a missed tackle or an ineffective one ... lowers a team's tackle efficiency.” We are not sure how all that correlates to Newcastle conceding 513 points this season. The opposition must be scoring a truckload of penalty goals and intercept tries. While the maths might not add up, we are happy to hold onto this claim to fame! In other developments, rugby league trainspotters could soon be searching for a new answer to the following trivia question: “Who is the most inexperienced coach to take an NRL team into the finals?” The current record is held by former Knights coach Rick Stone, who replaced Brian Smith five games out from the 2009 play-offs. Former Newcastle forward Cameron Ciraldo should get there in four games after being appointed caretaker coach at Penrith, replacing the punted Anthony Griffin. SEEING DOUBLE: Can you see the difference? Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts Speaking of what’s in and what’s out, the Bulldogs are definitely on the out. The team copped a $15,000 fine for wearing the wrong jerseys in their recent clash with Parramatta. Apparently both teams ran out in hooped jumpers, although it didn’t seem to inconvenience the Eels, who won 14-8. Nonetheless, it’s reassuring to see the NRL are cracking down on the really big issues...

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The Newcastle Knights have the best tackle effectiveness of any team this year.

Lies, damned lies, we hear you scream.

A certain website *cough nrl.com *cough claims that the Knights hold this title for 2018.

Apparently Newcastle’s 88.6 per cent ratio is top of the tree, just ahead of Melbourne's 88.3 per cent.

The website explains: “Tackle efficiency is calculated by tackles effected divided by tackles attempted; a missed tackle or an ineffective one ... lowers a team's tackle efficiency.”

We are not sure how all that correlates to Newcastle conceding 513 points this season. The opposition must be scoring a truckload of penalty goals and intercept tries.

While the maths might not add up, we are happy to hold onto this claim to fame!

In other developments, rugby league trainspotters could soon be searching for a new answer to the following trivia question: “Who is the most inexperienced coach to take an NRL team into the finals?”

The current record is held by former Knights coach Rick Stone, who replaced Brian Smith five games out from the 2009 play-offs.

Former Newcastle forward Cameron Ciraldo should get there in four games after being appointed caretaker coach at Penrith, replacing the punted Anthony Griffin.

SEEING DOUBLE: Can you see the difference? Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

Speaking of what’s in and what’s out, the Bulldogs are definitely on the out.

The team copped a $15,000 fine for wearing the wrong jerseys in their recent clash with Parramatta.

Apparently both teams ran out in hooped jumpers, although it didn’t seem to inconvenience the Eels, who won 14-8. Nonetheless, it’s reassuring to see the NRL are cracking down on the really big issues...